Thursday, 10 January 2019

Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote has retained his Africa’s richest man position for the eighth consecutive time despite the fact that his wealth dipped by $2 billion.

Dangote’s net worth value, which stood at $12.2 billion in January, last year, is down to $10 billion a year after, the Forbes’ Africa Billionaires List released yesterday showed.

But Globacom Chairman Mike Adenuga Jnr, with interests in oil exploration and real estate has moved up, ranking next to Dangote as Africa’s second richest man.

The United States (U.S.) magazine said Adenuga’s net worth rose tremendously from $5.3 billion to $9.2 billion because he provided more detailed information about his assets.

BUA Group Chief Executive Officer Abdulsamad Rabiu featured on the list for the first time since 2015.

The merger between Rabiu’s Kalambaina Cement firm with the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, which he controlled, in December, last year, was formally consummated in Sokoto earlier this week. He now owns 97 per cent of the entity.

Kalambaina, which operates a new cement production facility, started selling cement mid-last year just as Rabiu’s OBU Cement has expanded its operations, adding a new production line.

Forbes blamed plunging stock values and weaker currencies for the shrinking in the billionaires club in Africa.

It said: “Buffeted by plunging stock prices and weaker currencies, the number of African billionaires has shrunk to just 20, down from 23 a year ago.

“Four people fell off Forbes’ annual list of the continent’s richest since last year while one returned to the ranks after a four-year absence. All but four members of the list have smaller fortunes than a year ago.”

In a per country ranking, Egypt and South Africa are tied with five billionaires each, followed by Nigeria with four and Morocco-two.

Forbes found one billionaire each in Algeria, Angola, Tanzania and Zimbabwe